Police chase turns deadly in west Houston

Updated 8:19 pm, Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Photo: Mayra Beltran, Staff

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The driver of this pickup was taken to Hermann Southwest Hospital on Tuesday after hitting a cement truck head-on at Westheimer and Eldridge Parkway while fleeing from police. The driver of a third vehicle died. less

The driver of this pickup was taken to Hermann Southwest Hospital on Tuesday after hitting a cement truck head-on at Westheimer and Eldridge Parkway while fleeing from police. The driver of a third vehicle ... more

Photo: Mayra Beltran, Staff

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One person died in a traffic crash Tuesday morning in west Houston. The wreck happened about 7 a.m. on Westheimer near Eldridge Parkway, according to the Houston Police Department. (Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle)

One person died in a traffic crash Tuesday morning in west Houston. The wreck happened about 7 a.m. on Westheimer near Eldridge Parkway, according to the Houston Police Department. (Mayra Beltran / Houston

One person died in a traffic crash Tuesday morning in west Houston. The wreck happened about 7 a.m. on Westheimer near Eldridge Parkway, according to the Houston Police Department. (Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle)

One person died in a traffic crash Tuesday morning in west Houston. The wreck happened about 7 a.m. on Westheimer near Eldridge Parkway, according to the Houston Police Department. (Mayra Beltran / Houston

One person died in a traffic crash Tuesday morning in west Houston. The wreck happened about 7 a.m. on Westheimer near Eldridge Parkway, according to the Houston Police Department. (Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle)

One person died in a traffic crash Tuesday morning in west Houston. The wreck happened about 7 a.m. on Westheimer near Eldridge Parkway, according to the Houston Police Department. (Mayra Beltran / Houston

A woman fleeing Houston police early Tuesday crashed into several cars, killing one of the drivers, authorities said.

A Houston Police Department patrol officer saw a woman in a gray Dodge pickup driving in a suspicious manner about 7 a.m. near Westerland and Westheimer, according to police department spokesman Victor Senties.

The officer turned on his emergency lights to pull her over, then followed her when she refused, Senties said.

The woman ran a couple of red lights before colliding with a car at Westheimer and Kirkwood and stopping, he said.

The officer had gotten out of his squad car and was walking toward the pickup when the woman drove away on Westheimer, Senties said.

The officer pursued, Senties said, and saw her run a red light at Eldridge Parkway and hit several vehicles.

The pickup clipped a Mazda that was in the left-hand turn lane and then struck the side of a Chevrolet Impala that was in the intersection and southbound on Eldridge.

After hitting the Impala, the woman lost control of her pickup and smashed head-on into a cement truck.

The 29-year-old driver of the Impala died at the scene. His name has not been released.